T.K. Martin to receive Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Grant

The Mississippi State University T.K. Martin Center for Technology and Disability will soon receive some funds from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.

On Thursday, the university announced that the center was slated to receive $17,733 through the foundation’s Quality of Life program, to be put toward quality-of-life programs to empower individuals living with paralysis. The grant for T.K. Martin will specifically be put toward pressure mapping technology throughout Mississippi.

“We are honored to receive this Quality of Life Grant from such a distin

guished organization as the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation,” said T.K. Martin Center Director Kasee Stratton-gadke. “This award speaks highly to our outstanding staff and the mission of the T.K. Martin Center. We are thrilled to be able to use the funds to provide services that will have a direct impact on the lives of those living with paralysis.”

Pressure mapping is used to determine the impact of positioning aids in wheelchairs and other vehicles and compiling pressure relief strategies to aid in cushion and seat selection.

“This grant will help the T.K. Martin Center provide a service not readily available in our state,” said T.K. Martin Center biomedical engineer Rebecca Mathis. “We’ll be able to provide pressure mapping not only for wheelchairs but also for recreational items such as four wheelers, tractors, boats and other items as needed, which is very rare.

This availability will give our center one more way to have a positive impact on the lives of the individuals we serve.”

The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury and improving quality of life for individuals and families impacted by paralysis. The late actor Christopher Reeve, who portrayed Superman in several films was later paralyzed in an equestrian accident and dedicated the rest of his life to supporting spinal cord injury research.